2003:2332 - TRALEE: 23 Denny Street, Kerry

Monitoring was undertaken of renovation works in the basement at 23 Denny Street, Tralee. Denny Street is a Georgian street constructed between 1826 and 1829 subsequent to the demolition of the Great Castle of Tralee. No. 23 is a listed building, as outlined in the Tralee Development Plan. The street has been given a regional rating by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.

The basement of 23 Denny Street is rectangular in plan, measures 7m by 10m and comprises four rooms, an entrance hall and a small porch. External front access to the basement was made via railed steps directly from Denny Street. Rear access was made by a laneway to facilitate domestic deliveries and coachhouse access. The internal walls and c. 80% of the basement floor had been removed prior to commencement of monitoring of the renovation works. Originally it was intended to excavate the surviving 20% of in situ material by hand, but flooding, which added to the already difficult circumstances, precluded this. Furthermore, examination of foundation drawings relating to the proposed development works indicated no potential impact on levels below the 19th-century construct layer. Subsequent to pumping of water, the remaining material was incrementally removed by mini-digger. The remaining in situ material measured 3.2m by 4.6m and comprised the remains of a rubble fill layer. This rubble fill had originally extended over the entire basement, to a depth of 0.75–1m in places, and had been covered in stone slabs. The fill consisted of mixed mortar and yellow-brown clay and also included red bricks. The natural under this layer comprised a yellow sandy clay with loose limestone bedrock protruding in many places. Water had inundated the basement, most likely as seepage from the Big River (Gabhal) that runs under Denny Street. No stratigraphy or artefacts of archaeological significance were recorded.

3 Canal Place, Tralee, Co. Kerry